Rick Santorum slammed those who booed a gay soldier appearing on a video before the Fox News/YouTube debate Thursday night. “I condemn the people who booed that gay soldier,” he said. “I have to admit I seriously did not hear those boos. … But certainly had I, I would’ve said, ‘Don’t do that. This man is serving our country and we are to thank him for his service.’” http://cvote.to/4N The media reported that the audience booed the soldier, when in fact, it was only about two or three who booed him.

Rick Perry had quite the off week. First he tanked in the GOP debate (a third mediocre debate in as many attempts.) No surprise, native Michigander Mitt Romney defeated him the Mackinac Straw Poll on Saturday. http://cvote.to/4Q (Your humble correspondent was at this event and will report more later.) But Romney didn’t just beat him at Mackinac. He routed him. Romney took 51% to Perry’s 17%. Then Romney’s camp knew they couldn’t win the Saturday straw poll in Florida. So they told their supporters to back Herman Cain, who bested Rick Perry. Perry had spent several days trying to win the Florida poll to regain momentum. http://cvote.to/4R The National Journal wrote: “The twin disappointments, along with weak debate performances, have raised questions about whether Perry will remain the perceived front-runner in the GOP nomination fight.”

With Perry’s poor performance, speculation raged again about a possible run by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. The talk never comes from Christie but from big GOP donors. Chris Chilizza of the Washington Post outlines three reasons why Christie should run and three reasons why he shouldn’t. http://cvote.to/4S

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, indicated he might not run for re-election in 2014. http://cvote.to/4T Snyder unfortunately supports embryonic-destructive research but has pledged to sign a ban on partial-birth abortion that the Michigan Legislature passed last week. Attorney General Bill Schuette, a Catholic, and Lt. Gov. Brian Calley are both solidly pro-life and would be expected to run if Snyder did not.

No surprise: A dead heat in Virginia Senate race between Tim Kaine and George Allen. Expect this one to go down to the wire. http://cvote.to/4U